Kansas City’s first ozone alert of the season issued for today

The first ozone alert of the season has been issued for Saturday.

The orange alert, issued by the Mid-America Regional Council, means that weather conditions in the city probably will produce an unhealthy level of smog.

Residents are advised to try to reduce air pollution. In addition, children, seniors and those with breathing problems should limit their outdoor exposure from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to a MARC news release.

Residents are encouraged to reduce pollution by carpooling, taking the bus, postponing mowing and postponing vehicle refueling. Fares for regular bus routes are reduced on Ozone Alert days.

Orange is the second most severe level of alert, behind red, which indicates unhealthy conditions even for healthy adults.

MARC said it’s important for Kansas City to keep ozone levels in check because too many violations of federal air-quality standards could force the area to adopt more stringent measures to reduce ozone pollution.

Ian Cummings, icummings@kcstar.com

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Kansas City’s first ozone alert of the season issued for today."